Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

Cops in Louisville Murdered Another Black Man. His Name Is David McAtee.

In yet another in a string of police murders, Louisville cops murdered David McAtee, a local barbeque chef. They left his body lying in the street for 12 hours, reminding us of the level of contempt they have for the lives of Black people.

Facebook Twitter Share
Will Pitts, friend of David McAtee, after McAtee was shot and killed by Kentucky National Guard and LMPD. (Image: Matt Stone/Courier Journal via USA TODAY Network)

Last night, cops and national guard troops fired into a crowd in a parking lot in Louisville, Kentucky, killing 53-year-old David McAtee. Two of the police at the front of the scene had turned off their body cameras, making it abundantly clear how strongly they feel they can shoot people down in the streets with impunity.

McAtee was loved by his community. He offered food to those who needed it, catering community events for free, and even offering free meals to police when they came in. 

After killing him, the police left his body on the ground in front of his mother, Odessa Riley, and other family members and friends for 12 hours before doing anything. Riley was told to just “wait for the coroner.”

Police Chief Steve Conrad defended the police, saying that the cops and the national guard were trying to “clear the lot,” and claimed they had been shot at.

Louisville police officer Katie Crews was one of the two cops who had turned off her body cam. Social media posts surfaced showing her mocking and threatening protestors, giving insight into the state of mind of police officers at the recent protests. Under a photo of a protester who had been standing across from her at a demonstration, she wrote: “I hope the pepper balls that she got lit up with a little later on hurt… Come back and get ya some more ole girl, I’ll be on the line again tonight.”

U.S. Attorneys, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, and the state police are all scrambling to promise “internal investigations,” and Fischer has fired Chief Conrad in the wake of the incident. This is obvious and meaningless political damage control, especially considering Conrad was already scheduled to retire at the end of the month and will retain his full pension. The new chief of police promised to “review the entire incident to determine if there are any other policy violations that occurred.” Yet it’s clear that what occurred is exactly in line with the policy of the murderous police that continue to terrorize Black communities during these protests.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to paint protesters as the violent ones, militarize our streets to impose curfews, and continue to send killer cops and the National Guard in our communities. We demand justice for David, for George, for Sean Reed, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner and everyone killed by this murderous state.

The state, which continues to use its armed wing to kill Black people, is responsible for all of these deaths.

Facebook Twitter Share

Francesca Gomes

Francesca is a teacher from Brooklyn.

Sou Mi

Sou Mi is an activist based in New York City.

United States

The New Hollywood McCarthyism Emerging Around Palestine

Over the past week, a new Hollywood McCarthyism has emerged: multiple people in Hollywood have jobs and representation over their support of Palestine. We must denounce and fight these attacks which weaken the movement and scare supporters into silence.

Sybil Davis

December 3, 2023
A UAW sign is held next to a "Free Palestine" sign

The UAW Has Called for a Ceasefire. It’s Time for All of Labor to Stand Up.

The UAW International union has joined calls for a ceasefire and is exploring how to divest from Israel. This is a step which should inspire union activists to take up the fight to bring their union into the fight against Israel's attack on Gaza and the struggle against imperialism.

Rose Lemlich

December 2, 2023

A Pause in Genocide Is Not Enough: Jewish Voice for Peace Shuts Down the Manhattan Bridge

Amid a pause in Israel’s offensive on Gaza, Jewish Voice for Peace is showing that the movement for Palestine will continue. Civil disobedience must lead to broad protests which bring all sectors of the movement together.

Samuel Karlin

November 26, 2023
Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed wearing Keffiyes. They were shot in Burlington, Vermont, USA.

The Three Palestinians Shot in Burlington Are Victims of Rising Islamophobia

Three Palestinian men were shot in Burlington Vermont while walking down the street. The campaign against Palestine has dehumanized all Palestinians and left them more vulnerable to these types of attacks.

Sybil Davis

November 26, 2023

MOST RECENT

Robert Habeck Wrote a Play Praising a Right-Wing Mass Murderer

Germany's Green vice chancellor strikes many as an idealist who has been struggling with the tough realities of government. Yet before he was a national politician, he wrote a play that opens a window into a dark soul.

Nathaniel Flakin

December 1, 2023

The World Kissinger Built Must Die Too

Henry Kissinger died at 100 years old. But his legacy remains in the brutal world system he built and the future generations of imperialist ghouls he inspired. They all must go.

Samuel Karlin

November 30, 2023

Fact Check: Did German Leftists Try to Bomb West Berlin’s Jewish Community Center in 1969?

Answer: No. The bombing was undertaken by West Germany’s domestic secret service, originally founded by Nazis.

Nathaniel Flakin

November 29, 2023
Protesters in NYC for Palestinian liberation.

Uniting Workers for Palestine Is a Fight for the Future of Labor

The struggle for Palestine shows the potential for the rank and file to push unions to break with imperialism and to build a new, combative, and internationalist unionism.

Tatiana Cozzarelli

November 27, 2023